Tubular vehicle-axle.



PATENTED APR. 21', 1903.

0. s. SMITH. TUBULAR VEHICLE AXLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1898.

N0 MODEL.

m. H &

"m: nonms mans c0. puoi'oumcu WASHINGTON, n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. SMITH, OF MILWAUKEE, \VISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR .TO FEDERAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

* TU BU LAR VEHICLE-AXLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 725,787, dated April 21, 1903.

Application filed May 21,1898. Serial No. 681,389. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- shape and size to form shoulders aand coneo Be it known that I, CHARLES S. SMITH, a seats 12 next to the ends of the body A. The citizen of the United States, residing at Milspindles are further slightly reduced in diwaukee, in the countyof Milwaukee and State ameter outside of the cone-seats b, so as to 5 of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and permit theinside cones C to be readily slipped useful Improvements in Tubular Vehicleover the ends of the spindles into place upon Axles, of which the following is a specificasaid seats 1) against the shoulders a, to which tion, reference being bad to the accompanythey are fitted, as shown in Fig. 2. The outing drawings, forming a part thereof. side cones D are adjustably fastened to the 10 The main object of my invention is to proouter ends of the spindles in any suitable duce in one piece a tubular metallic vehicleway. They may be threaded thereon, as axle without joints or abrupt changes in the shown in Fig. 2, so as to be adjusted toward thickness of the metal between the spindles and from the inside cones C by turning them, and body or axletree. and they may be locked in place when ad- I 5 It consists in certain novel features of coni j usted by means of screws E, threaded inside struction, as hereinafter particularly de of the spindles and havingsquared heads e,

scribed, and pointed out in the claims. which project outwardly over and are adapt- In the accompanying drawings like letters ed to bear against the outer ends of said cones. designate the same parts in both figures. Axles of this class have heretofore been 20 Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tubular vemade by welding solid spindles in the ends hicle-axle embodying my invention; and Fig. of a tubular axletree; but by this construc- 7o 2 is a view on a greatly-enlarged scale, partly tion abrupt changes in the gage, thickness,

in elevation and partly in vertical longitudior mass of metal are produced where the nal section, of one of the axle-spindles. spindlesjoin the body. These abrupt changes 25 A designates the body of the axle or the in the thickness or mass of the metal tend to axletree, and B B the spindles upon which the interrupt vibrations and to produce crystalwheels are mounted and adapted to turn. lization, by which the axles become brittle For the illustration of my invention I have and weak at those points.

shown an axle which is specially designed for Instead of constructing the spindles by 0 use in connection with ball-bearings; but with compression they may be reduced in diamelittle or no change in the essential features ter by turning them down. This, however,

of construction constituting my invention it reduces the thickness of the metal, making may be used with other kinds of bearings. a more or less abrupt change in gage between In the construction of the axle the body or the spindles and body to form the shoulders 35 axletree A and the spindles B are formed ina, and to this extent interrupts vibration and tegrally with each other of metal tubing. I weakens the axle at those points. 8 5

prefer for the purpose to use seamless tubing In place of tubing of the larger diameter of of the greatest diameter of the finished axle the finished axle and instead of reducing it or whose diameter is the same from end to by compression towardthe ends tubing of 'a 40 end and equal to the diameter of the larger smaller diameter may be employed and exmiddle portion of the body or axletree A. panded between the spindles to form the go The diameter of the tubing is first graduallyaxletree. This may be done by placing the reduced from the middle to the ends by dies tubing in a mold or form of the desired shape or other suitable means, thus condensing and and pumping wax or some suitable fluid or 4 5 increasing the thickness of the metal toward semifluid substance into the tubing under the ends. The 'body or axletree A is then high pressure. I do not claim, however, in

arched or bent into the desired shape. The this application the process of making the spindles B are reduced in diameter by forcaxle,and do not wish to be understood as lim & ing over them a die or dies of the proper iting my invention thereto or to the ballbearings and adjustable fastening for the outer bearings which I have shown and described in connection therewith.

In place of ordinary tubing of uniform gage or thickness taper gage tubing may be used, so that when it is expanded in the middle or contracted at the ends to produce the desired taper in the finished axle it will be brought to an approximately uniform or equal gage or thickness.

Instead of forming the shoulders at on the axle for the inside cones C to abut against said cones may be pinned or otherwise fastened in place and the axle may be formed without such shoulders.

I claim 1. A metallic vehicle-axle consisting of an arched tubular body and spindles formed integrally therewith,the spindles being reduced in diameter forming shoulders next to the body without change in the gage or thickness of the metal at those points and the body diminishing in diameter and increasing in gage or thickness from the middle toward the ends, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A metallic axle consisting of tubular spindles and an arched tubular body or axletree diminishing in diameter from the middle toward the ends, the spindles being reduced in diameter next to the body to form seats and shoulders for the inside cones and further reduced outside of the cone-seats to permit the cones to be readily slipped into place over the outer ends of the spindles, substantially as and for the purposes set.forth.

In witness whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. SMITH. Witnesses:

CHAS. L. Goss, L. A. MORRILL. 

